PASTOR SHARES
The Solid Rock group of Alcoholics for Christ based in St. Petersburg, FL had our first meeting December 2, 1999. Since that meeting we have experienced twenty-five lost souls receive salvation and three rededications. Almost everyone of these people are still attending Alcoholics for Christ meetings and are involved in discipleship programs at local churches.

One of the wonderful things that has happened that is evidence of God's direction, love and power, is that in February a frantic mother contacted the Alcoholics for Christ offices in MI with regards to her daughter who was at a point of surrender.

Alcoholics for Christ referred her to the St. Petersburg , FL group. As it turned out the mother and daughter lived in Miami, which is about 300 miles South of St. Petersburg and the Solid Rock Group. However a contact was given to the mother by a member of the St. Petersburg group and the daughter was able to be placed in an eight month in- house, Christian treatment program. This all took place within 24 hours!

Alcoholics for Christ is a tool that overcomes geographical lines in a way that only a loving God could accomplish.

A fellow laborer
Rev. Glenn Miller
Senior Pastor

GROUP LEADERS SHARE
Pagosa Springs,CO. We have been in existence almost 6 years and attendance has been inconsistent. We have seen quite a few people disciple through our group. I pray that God will continue to work in our lives and spread the message of recovery. I am convinced we cannot worship Him until we deal with the fleshly and Spiritual strongholds in or lives. Liz

Praise the Lord for your faithfulness, Liz.

Dripping Springs, TX , I'm grateful to tell you we had our first meeting tonight. We had 15 people at the meeting. I also felt the Lord's blessings. Please continue to pray for us and know that you are in our prayers. Dan

Madison Hts., MI group has been around for about 5 years. They have substance abuse, family, and adult children tables. They are also blessed with the AC 4 music ministry.

St. Louis, MO - The AC ministry at Central Presbyterian Church started about 2 ˝ years ago. Our group meets every Tuesday night at 7:30 pm. Our group minsters to recovering alcoholic/chemical dependents as well as family members and those with al-anon issues. We are blessed with supportive clergy and are thankful for the new pastoral care leadership. Our group has a coe attendance of 12 regulars and on some evenings as many as 28 people have attended. Numbers are not important to us. It is the privilege of serving or Lord and Savior by keeping the light for those in need.

We use scripture as our primary source of teaching as well as the Christian 12 steps of AC workbooks and literature. We feel sharing our individual experiences, strength, and hope as it relates to the sin that does so easily beset us, is the best way to relate to those in meetings. We also provide a safe environment for all those attending. We have a greater part of our membership coming from outside churches and off the streets, rather than our own congregation. Ths is understandable when you consider denial and the old social stigmas attached to this condition. I am encouraged by our Pastors ability to attract those in the church due to the many gifts he has been blessed with in Pastoral care.

Anyway, that's AC in a nutshell here in Central. We would appreciate your prayers and support and would enjoy hearing from you.

Yours in Christ, Michael H.
Great work Central!! Contact Michael at 314-692-8382.

Remember that what makes groups succeed is for old members as well as new members to be there for each other. Everyone is valuable at a table.

Canada Shares
I just wanted to drop a note to thank you for the great experience with the Holy Spirit we had on Saturday. We felt like family. We thank the Lord for all the new brothers and sisters we have in Christ Jesus. We were so spiritually fed good food for our souls, and the encouragement was awesome from everyone. Mike from the Madison Heights group meeting was very encouraging when he shared how he got his meeting going. So I know if the enemy temporarily gets in the way of God's will, that another door will be opened by our Lord. It was so great to meet many of you. AC's growth will be continually in our prayers for the out- pouring of the Holy Spirit throughout the world.

God Bless you all.
Robin and Linda.

Thank you Robin and Linda for attending our Detroit Rally and sharing your day with us. I and many others were so blessed to meet you and see your determination. We will be having a booth at the London, Ontario, Canada Promise Keeper event in September.

Ladies Share on their Retreat
The Women's Retreat was a blessing! On Saturday morning we had a wonderful teaching on the "Potter and the Clay" and how the Master Potter (the Lord) shapes and molds the clay (us). We heard how he takes even the damaged and broken vessels and gently reshapes and mends them; making them into new vessels for service when we submit to his gentle hand.

Then in the afternoon workshop, we took a piece of Play Doh (clay) and formed a shape that represented how we either thought others viewed us, or how we viewed ourselves. Then we wrote on a piece of paper what the object meant to us. It took me a little while to make something out of my piece of "clay" and it turned out to be a platter with lumps and cracks in it. It was very interesting and moving to see the different objects that the ladies formed with their clay. Some of the shapes made me want to cry.

Then in the evening, we went into the chapel and surrendered our damaged, broken vessels by placing our piece of paper in the "kiln". We received prayer then chose a new "vessel" from a table laden with various shapes, sizes and colors of other "vessels". When I went to the table to choose a new vessel, I was drawn to a tall slender bud vase, much different from my flat, shallow serving platter. I picked it up and set it back down again several times before I finally took it and kept it.

Sunday morning we had communion, a testimony, and a time of sharing. During the sharing, while another lady was speaking, I finally received a glimmer of understanding of what my new vessel meant. I believe it means that I will be going to a deeper lever in my relationship with the Lord.

All during this retreat there were people praying for and sharing with others and that's how the Lord works in us to hearl, restore, and change our lives. It is in the giving of ourselves that we receive the greatest blessings. There were 44 ladies who spent the entire weekend and another 22 who came just for Saturday.

The Lord ALWAYS shows up and we never leave there the same way we arrive. We always receive something from the Lord, but sometimes we don't recognize it until later, after the retreat is over. Please be good to yourself and don't miss the next retreat! The Lord will be there waiting for you.

The Men's Spring Retreat 2000 was Awesome!
The Lord is good and his Mercy never fails us. The AC 4 lead the praise and worship. Group leaders from all over were there. We had a brother from Texas and one from California.

You would have had to been there to see the anointing of God beak through and cause some men to break down and confess and draw nearer to the Lord. All of the speakers were led of the Lord and everybody was fed spiritually. The fellowship, praise, worship, and prayers were awesome. The upper prayer room was like the book of ACTS. We had 2 salvations and I believe there were a couple of private salvations that only the Lord knows about.

We would like to thank Dave for all the work he has done to make the retreat possible. I, Jesse Washington, could not have been in a better place. Hope to see you at the next retreat.

We have some great resources available:
"The Twelve Steps, A Spiritual Kindergarten", by Dale and Juanita Ryan
This is a book on the twelve steps from a Christian perspective.

We are getting excited about the upcoming Promise Keeper conferences, where we will be exhibiting our materials and praying for folks.

Return to top of page.